Before I start talking about how to get out of your freelance writing rut, let me tell you about how I found out what a rut is and how easy it can come about.
I worked in a factory somewhere in Detroit like most Detroiters. Eventually, I worked my way up to production supervisor and found out quickly that a dip in production was never a good thing and, even worse, when the dip stayed the norm everyone who was a step above a line worker had to answer for the problem.
Just like the dog days of summer, the long nights of winter tend to bring on a steady case of dragon-ass-disease (laziness). After a while to factory line-workers, parts all start to look the same and the only goal for them is to make it to Friday and get their paycheck.
I found it a surprise to me that this attitude could rear its ugly head in my freelance adventures, especially since this was something that I wanted – working for myself – no limitations on my success. But like with anything we do in life, it can’t stay interesting and exciting forever without some type of adjustments to the routine.
How Change Promotes Production
When anything becomes too routine, the need for change to promote more productivity is crucial, but creating solutions to promote positive change for more productivity may not be so easy. When working in a factory with 50 guys working under you who know that minimum productivity won’t get them fired, leaves you, as production supervisor, in a bind.
What I did in the factory to beat the low production plateau was shuffle people around. There would always be a small drop in production for the first few days while workers got used to their new surroundings and job responsibilities, but in the end, production would spike and stay there until the next stretch of boredom kicked in.
Now the answer to the reason why this helped, I came to the conclusion that it was a culmination of things. Some workers thought it was kind of like a promotion and other workers just liked the thought of doing something different. But my favorite reason for the production spike was the “less talk – more work” attitude I would get from the guys.
People tend to get used to who they work with day-in and day-out and that would cause more of a social atmosphere rather than a work atmosphere. Switch that up with young guys working with older guys – people who have not been acquainted with each other yet – and the headphones go on and work tends to get done. Eventually, they would find out about each other’s likes and dislikes, but my hope was always that it would happen just in time for another change.
Making Change Work For Your Writing Responsibilities
So what does all that factory jargon have to do with productivity in my freelance writing business? When I find myself getting too used to a routine, I find myself not wanting to get up an extra hour early or not wanting to stay up an extra hour or two at night to find new and exciting opportunities. When follow-ups, queries, research for new ideas all sound like something I could do tomorrow, then chances are they won’t get done tomorrow either. That’s right, you just kind of fall into a rut of a routine and stick to it because it works. But how fun and productive is that?
When I find myself in a rut and productivity is kind of plateaued or even lacking, I know it’s time for a change. The changes I make don’t really affect my freelance business directly more so indirectly in hopes it will boost my productivity in a positive way in the future.
Use some of these ideas to help you out of your rut or maybe help you avoid one altogether.
Change Work Space/Office Around
Changing the environment in which you get most of your work done can help productivity. You can add or get rid of furniture for a different look or atmosphere (cozy or open). You can change where your desk is sitting in the office, maybe face it in a different direction or move it closer to a window. A fresh paint job with a new color for the walls, new artwork, nick-nacks, posters, etc. can always add a little extra spring in your step.
I have even done things like putting a T.V. in the home office – it created productivity – eventually, it created a distraction and minimum work was getting done – so I got rid of it – now it’s back in my office with an XBOX.
Anything that can get you motivated and keep the drag out of your step is all you’re looking for. Nowadays, computers and their accessories are so small maybe you can ditch your home office altogether and work somewhere else in the house, maybe in the den or outside on the deck. If it frees up your mind and finds you motivation then give it a try.
Change Your Routine
The first time I started applying this method to my writing responsibilities was when I was noticing that my morning coffee was starting to become my morning and afternoon coffee. Two hours were wasted on my coffee and breakfast routine.
The way I changed that was instead of waiting until later in the day to workout – since I wouldn’t eat or drink anything hours before a workout
I have made many routine changes like that in the past and still continue to make them. Whenever I find a spot in my day where time is being wasted for no good reason, I dump it from the program and insert something to shake things up. Now that doesn’t mean you can’t relax, resting is a very positive thing when you need it, but resting/relaxing and laziness are two different things.
Getting out of a low productivity routine doesn’t usually just happen overnight, it takes the motivation in you to make a series of small changes to see a bigger change start to form. Finding a formula that re-amplifies your productivity might take some time but is well worth the effort.